There comes a time in every comedic actor’s career when he feels the need to “prove” himself by tackling more serious roles, but the pigeonholing occasionally works in reverse as well. Sometimes, an actor is so associated with heavier parts that the most surprising thing he can do is sign up for something really goofy.

Few would deny Clive Owen‘s dramatic chops, but now the thespian seems ready to really stretch himself in what sounds like a full-on comedy. He’s just signed on for The King of the Castle, written and directed by, of all people, The Sitter scribes Brian Gatewood and Alessandro Tanaka. Talk about an unexpected match-up. More details after the jump.

The LA Times broke the news, based on a tip from an anonymous inside source. The plot follows a philanderer (Owen) who gets found out and blackmailed by a teenager. Owen seems to be the only star attached at the moment, but the film’s nabbed some solid names behind the scenes. Jonathan Gordon, whose credits include The Silver Linings Playbook and Good Will Hunting, is set to produce. Benaroya Pictures (Margin Call, Lawless) will finance the endeavor.

Gatewood and Tanaka broke into Hollywood just last year with David Gordon Green’s The Sitter, and are now working on the screenplay for Robert Ben Garant’s Baywatch reboot. The pair recently suffered a bit of a career setback on the small screen when NBC cancelled their sitcom Animal Practice. The King of the Castle will be new territory for the duo as well, as it’ll be the first time either of them have directed a feature.

The Oscar-nominated Owen has forayed into lighter fare from time to time, with movies like the playful Duplicity and the tongue-in-cheek Shoot ‘Em Up. However, he remains better known for dramatic pictures like Alfonso Cuarón’s Children of Men, Spike Lee’s Inside Man, and Mike Nichols’ Closer. He was last seen in HBO’s Hemingway and Gellhorn opposite Nicole Kidman, and has Guilllaume Canet’s Blood Ties coming up in 2013. Whatever The King of the Castle winds up being, it may be worth checking out just to see how he fares as a funnyman.